Mighty Morphin Orange Ranger
by saucemonkey
Summary: AU fic, if Zedd actually took advantage of the power gap left when Tommy lost his powers. Zordon kept a secret, and now that Zedd is amassing an army, the only way the Power Rangers can hope to survive is by gathering the fragments of a lost Power Coin!
1. Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger 1

**Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger: Part 1**

Tommy sat in the Juice Bar alone, at a secluded table away from anyone that may have been there at the time. It was only a few days after he had lost his powers, and Tommy was feeling the emptiness inside of himself growing. However, Tommy largely ignored it, and now only worried about his friends, and what the future would hold for them…

He had given his power to Jason now, and while he knew that the power was in good hands, he could not help but worry about the power void that he had left behind. Without him, the rangers were one man short, and with Zedd being far more powerful than Rita, the rangers would have to work very diligently in order to put a stop to the increasing danger. The former green ranger also worried about Jason, and while he knew he was a very capable ranger, and the leader of the Power Rangers, even he would need to strain his powers to the very maximum in order to fully utilize the power of the Red Dragon as well as the Dragon Zord, and even then they wouldn't nearly be as powerful as when Tommy had worked together with the rangers. No, Tommy knew that things wouldn't just work out as the other rangers, especially Kimberly, had so desperately believed… Zedd had a plan, Tommy could feel it in his gut, and it was something so terrifyingly wicked that the rangers would need someone to help them.

Knowing that Tommy was powerless against the forces of Lord Zedd, he quickly began formulating ideas on how to increase the power of the rangers, but to no avail. 'If there were a way to do that, Zordon, Alpha and Billy would have already found something.' He had come to the conclusion that if he were to get results, he would have to confront Zordon himself.

Without his powers or a way to contact Zordon, Tommy had no choice but to trek up to the command center on foot…

"Hey, where you goin' Tommy?" Ernie asked, having noticed that Tommy had spent far less time in the Juice Bar than usual. Tommy stopped for a second and turned to the owner of the establishment, shaking his head in what seemed to be disappointment.

"Sorry Ernie, no time to talk, I've got a lot to do today." And with that Tommy set out the door, leaving Ernie baffled as to what Tommy needed to do that was so important he couldn't be bothered to talk to a friend.

"Kids, just when you think you know em…" Ernie went back to work, shaking his head and wondering where the rest of the kids that hung around Tommy were.

Travelling to the Command Center took what seemed to be days to Tommy, but eventually he had made it, with little resistance along the way. Not knowing how exactly to get inside, he banged on the outside to try to get someone's attention, obviously either Alpha 5 or Zordon had heard, and teleported the teen into the command center immediately. Zordon greeted Tommy warmheartedly as ever, still feeling much affection for the ranger.

"Hello Tommy, what brings you here today?" Boomed the voice of Zordon of Eltar, as Alpha walked towards the former green ranger in excitement.

"Yes Tommy, it is good to see you!" Alpha said, jittery as always.

"Thanks guys," Tommy said "but I have a feeling that Zedd is up to no good." Alpha nodded, and Zordon grunted in acknowledgment.

"Indeed he is, as he is always." Zordon stated, wondering why Tommy had trekked this far for such a trivial thing to say. Tommy shook his head and continued with his speech;

"No Zordon, it's not just like all the other times, this time it has to be big." Tommy explained, as Alpha began some calculations in the background. "With a void of power, the rangers are weak and Zedd knows it, and he's going to take advantage of it."

"Hmm…" Zordon became quiet, taking what Tommy had said into account. "This all indeed is true, and without the Green Ranger, the others will be susceptible to an attack." Tommy nodded in acknowledgment while Alpha screamed his signature 'Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!' "What is wrong Alpha?" Zordon asked, while Alpha punched a few more buttons.

"I've done a scan of the moon palace and it seems that Lord Zedd is concentrating his forces!" Tommy shook his head, knowing that whatever was going to happen wouldn't be good for the rangers. "It appears that he is stockpiling monsters to unleash on the Power Rangers!"

"Damn, I knew this would happen!" Tommy said under his breath. Zordon analyzed the data himself for a few moments, and finally he knew how dangerous the situation was.

"Tommy, you were right, Zedd is up to something that he has never tried before, and without you on the team, the rangers will have an extremely difficult time keeping up with the monsters."

"Tell me something I don't know…" Tommy said, not unkindly. Zordon, ever thinking of ways to protect the planet, quickly decided that now was the time to unleash the hidden information that he had been saving for a moment such as this. After a brief silence, he began to speak;

"Tommy, there is one way that we may indeed save the Rangers." Zordon claimed, bringing Tommy's head back up to look at the wise being.

"How Zordon? Tell me anything and I'll do my best to help." Tommy said.

"Yes, but first the other rangers should be contacted. Alpha, contact the rangers and have them teleported here immediately." Alpha nodded. All three waited a few moments, and finally, Jason responded to the call.

"Zordon, we hear you." Jason said from the other end of the communicator.

"Jason, you and the other rangers must teleport here immediately, Lord Zedd is up to something and Tommy is here to help." Zordon explained. Jason waited a few moments, and then responded;

"Zack's at a movie, but the rest of us are coming." And with that, four marvelous streaks of color landed down on the command center floor, and from them came four of the five remaining Power Rangers.

"Glad to see you here rangers." Zordon said as most of the rangers started greeting Tommy.

"It's excellent to see you." Billy said, the others also sharing his sentiments. However, all of the rangers quickly turned to Zordon, as Alpha 5 had apparently contacted Zack and teleported him to the command center.

"Hey Zack, Zordon has something he needs to tell us." Trini explained to her teammate. Zack nodded and turned to Zordon.

"What's going on?" Jason asked, waiting for their wise teacher to give them the information.

"As Tommy has pointed out to me and Alpha 5, Lord Zedd is planning something nefarious in order to take advantage of the Green Ranger losing his powers." This came as no surprise to the teens, who were used to this thing by now.

"It's nothing we can't handle; we've kicked his _**and**_ Rita's butts enough that we're pro's at it by now!" Zack said, ever confident in his and his friend's abilities.

"That may not be the case anymore Zack, Zedd has been stockpiling monsters in his palace ever since Tommy had lost his powers, and it is only a matter of time before he is complete in his preparations. This time rangers, he will have enough monsters to completely overtake the ThunderMegazord as well as the Dragon Zord." Kimberly gasped, shaking her head in horror.

"But Zordon, we can't let that happen! Is there some way that we can beat Zedd's monsters?" Kimberly asked, clinging to Tommy's arm.

"Yes, but it's extremely risky." Zordon stated. "Observe the viewing globe." All of the rangers turned around and watched as a grotesque headless knight looking creature with glowing white armor draw a sword.

"Who is that Zordon?" Tommy asked, just as confused as the rest of the rangers.

"That, Tommy, is Pralion the Shining Knight." Zordon explained. As the teens continued to watch, Pralion began to swing his sword at the air and finally point it towards someone.

"Who's he pointing at?" Zack wondered aloud, watching further. On the other end of the battle, a new ranger appeared, orange, and wielding a sword in which the blade looked like the spines of a stegosaurus. All at once, the rangers donned a look of surprise, wondering who this ranger could be.

"Zordon, there's a seventh ranger?" Jason asked, not even turning away from the battle.

"Keep viewing Jason, for the globe will tell you why he is not helping us at this very moment." Zordon stated as the rangers continued to view the ensuing battle. Pralion and the orange ranger swung their swords at each other; Pralion's being much larger in comparison. When the swords clashed, there was a power struggle for a brief moment, but Pralion won out and pushed the ranger away, knocking him to the ground. The ranger recovered and the two were at it again, exchanging blow after blow for what seemed to be hours, with Pralion easily owning the fight.

"Oh no…" Trini said, concerned for this ranger whom she had never met. In one last act of desperation, the orange ranger seemed to try to call for the power of a Zord, but was unable to for unknown reasons, and without the Zord, he was left powerless. With no other option, the ranger demorphed and, in a stunning display of bravery and defiance, smashed his power coin into pieces, enraging Pralion who stabbed the man through the chest, killing him. At this point, Zordon had turned off the globe, and the rangers all turned to Zordon for answers.

"Who was that? What was going on Zordon?" Jason asked, more confused now than he had ever been as a Power Ranger. Taking a moment to process the information himself, Zordon finally began answering questions.

"That was the Orange Power Ranger, the first ranger that I had ever called upon to save Earth." Zordon explained "Many years before Rita had escaped, Pralion was a growing threat to the galaxy, he had very limited power however, and could not use his powers anywhere but on the planet Mercury, which was where he resided, therefore he could not conquer Earth as he so desired. That is until he discovered a passing asteroid that could take him to the planet Earth." Zordon paused for a few moments, letting the rangers take in the information. "Fearing for Earth, I elected a teen of the time to take on a temporary role as the Orange Power Ranger, knowing that the Red, Yellow, Blue, Pink and Black Power Morphers were not yet powerful or stable enough for use. I then trained this ranger for as long as I could, before sending him off the planet Mercury to try and stall Pralion long enough for the asteroid to pass by his planet without Pralion knowing." Zordon paused once more, wondering if the rangers had any questions. Seeing that they didn't, he moved on. "While they fought, the Orange Ranger had bought just enough time for Pralion to miss the asteroid, but I could not assist the Orange Ranger any longer, as Pralion had then put some sort of force field around the planet, stopping me from transporting the orange ranger or sending him his Zord. In a last ditch effort, knowing that Pralion would have enough power to return to Earth with the Stegosaurus Power Coin, he destroyed it, and any means of Pralion getting back to Earth." Alpha 5 shook his head, still saddened by the loss of the old Orange Ranger. Billy seemed to be the most interested in the story after Zordon had finished.

"So Zordon, what's the story behind Pralion anyway?" Billy asked, Zordon complied;

"Pralion was once a brave and noble knight, fighting for good and destroying evil wherever he went. However, Master Vile, a terribly evil mastermind, tricked Pralion into becoming evil with his magic, and also taking his head in the process. Pralion then started to destroy the very things which he had fought to protect." Tommy shook his head.

"So it's like how I became the Green Ranger?" Tommy asked.

"Precisely, but unfortunately for Pralion, this evil is irreversible, and has corrupted his very soul." Zordon explained, some of the rangers shook their heads in disappointment.

"How did he end up on Mercury anyway?" Zack asked, Zordon preparing to answer his question.

"Years before I became trapped on Earth, I had a run in with Pralion, and we had a battle. It was obvious that Pralion had me beaten in brute strength, but through my powers, I had him banished to a planet in the Milky Way galaxy, unknown to me that one day I would be trapped in that very galaxy with him, albeit on a different planet." Zordon stated, the other rangers still had one burning question on their minds however. "You all must be wondering why I showed you this." All of the rangers nodded their heads, not knowing what to ask. "Because of the new situation that we are all in, it is now no longer an option to ignore the orange ranger's broken coin fragments on Mercury. If they are not obtained soon, and an orange ranger selected, then the Earth is surly doomed." Even though Zordon had answered many questions, there was one that still remained to be answered…

"Why haven't we been told about this up until now?" Jason asked, with quizzed look on his face. This was one question Zordon knew that he had to be careful in answering, for it was quite a touchy subject.

"Very good question Jason, and unfortunately I have no good answer." Zordon said, baffling the rest of the rangers. "I originally withheld this information due to Pralion easily being one of the most powerful villains that I know, able to go one on one with even Lord Zedd." As Zordon continued, there was a hint of frustration in his voice, which was extremely rare for the wise mentor of the rangers, and many of them noticed it. "When the power coin was destroyed, I knew then and there that all hope was lost for returning it, and the reason being Pralion, who in the growing years since the asteroid passed, has sworn to protect the fragments of the Power Coin, as to never allow anyone else to reuse it, all in revenge for the lone ranger who stopped him from coming to Earth." The rangers all took in the information, still unsure of why Zordon kept the information from them.

"But Zordon, we could have used this power before, like when Cyplosis appeared and totally thrashed us!" said Kimberly as the rest of the rangers nodded.

"Ah, but Kimberly, you and the other rangers defeated Lokar and Cyclopsis!" Alpha 5 added.

"It still would have helped…" Trini said.

"That is not the point rangers, all of the trials that you have faced up until this point I knew you could overcome. However, we are in dire need of assistance, and I can see almost no other alternative than traveling to Mercury and gaining the fragments of the Stegosaurus Power Coin." The ever wise Zordon said, the other rangers decided to agree with their mentor.

"But how will we be able to get the fragments Zordon? With Zedd readying to attack, and Pralion guarding the fragments, it's going to be improbable to get them without endangering ourselves and the planet." Billy explained, Zordon of course agreed with all of Billy's reasoning, but yet something had to be done.

"There is no doubt that we will be putting the world at great risk by doing so, but I must send two rangers to Mercury to recover the fragments of the Stegosaurus power coin." Almost immediately, Jason volunteered.

"I'll go Zordon." However, Zordon had other plans.

"No Jason, you stay here. You are the only other Ranger who can operate the Dragon Zord in case of an emergency." Jason, looking a little more than disappointed, stepped back. "Zack, Kimberly, you two shall be the ones to recover the shattered power coin, while Jason, Trini and Billy will keep a look out for lord Zedd and his monsters." Zach and Kimberly nodded, looking at each other with concerned faces. "Unfortunately, you will not have the power of the Zords to rely on, but you will not need them, as Pralion has no means to grow larger." All of the rangers heaved a sigh of relief, all but Billy.

"How has Zedd not discovered Pralion yet?" Billy asked.

"Zedd has always known of the location of Pralion, but holds a grudge from when Pralion fought for the side of good." Zordon explained "Although now Zedd most likely fears that if he attempts to use Pralion's powers, that he may be overpowered and overthrown, and thus refuses to enlist his aid out of fear." After his explanation, Tommy had finally realized that he had no role to serve in any of this.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Tommy asked, stepping forward.

"Not at this moment Tommy, it is too dangerous to send you to Mercury without a suit, and asking you to fight Zedd's monsters is suicide." Zordon explained. Although Tommy agreed, he was still disappointed.

"How long do we have Zordon?" Jason asked as Alpha started to pipe up.

"This is still a very rough plan, but I would say that we should be ready within a day or two." Alpha said, Zordon speaking up immediately after.

"No Alpha, if we are to stop Zedd, we must act quickly." The wise being explained "Rangers, be ready at any time, get some rest, tomorrow morning we shall be ready to transport Zack and Kimberly to Mercury. The rest of you, good luck, and may the power protect all of you." As all of the teens nodded, the five Power Rangers prepared to teleport away.

"Good luck Tommy, I hope that you can find a way to help us after all." Zack said, Tommy smiled and nodded, and finally, all the rangers had teleported away, all but Tommy.

"Zordon, I'll stay here and do whatever I can to help the rangers." Tommy said, making Zordon smile.

"Tommy, you are a wonderful friend and Ranger, we are all truly lucky to have you on our side." Zordon proclaimed. "However, if you truly wish to help, I shall teleport you back to Angel Grove High School." Tommy was perplexed.

"But why Zordon? How could I possibly help the rangers there?" Zordon, always with a plan, assured Tommy of his importance to play at the School.

"If Zedd attacks, I will need you there to help the children of Angel Grove be safe. I know I can count on you Tommy." Smiling, Tommy nodded.

"Thanks for everything Zordon…" Finally, he was teleported to the Angel Grove High School. Alpha 5 shook his head in disappointment.

"I can't believe we missed this Zordon." Alpha said, Zordon agreed.

"Indeed, it is a large oversight that I should have spotted earlier." As Alpha began work, an idea had come to both of them almost at the same time.

"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!" Alpha screamed "are you thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked Zordon, who nodded.

"Yes Alpha, perhaps it is time to inform the Aquatian rangers of our situation…" Alpha nodded back, trying to connect with the Alien Rangers. After a few minutes of tinkering with the communications coordinates, Alpha managed to lock onto the planet Aquitar.

"Were ready to begin communications Zordon!" Alpha said as he rested his hand over a button.

"Very good Alpha, we've no time to waste." Zordon said. Alpha finally pressed the button;

"Hello Aquatian Rangers? This is Alpha five here with Zordon." Alpha said in hopes that the communications array had enough power to reach a planet as far as Aquitar. After a few moments of static and silence, a voice came through, followed by a fuzzy face on the viewing globe.

"Hello, my name i-…-stro" The static cut off part of the rangers speech "the other range-…-rently fighting Hydro Hog, what is…-ituation?" he asked, Zordon knew exactly who was talking.

"It is good to hear from you Cestro, although it is terrible that you have been attacked by Hydro Hog." As Zordon talked, Alpha was working on making the connection clearer. "Would there be any way for the Aquatian rangers to possibly come to Earth and help us? We are in dire need of allies." His face nearly clear on the viewing globe, Cestro was obviously deep in thought.

"I am truly sorry Zordon, but we are also in peril at this moment, and can give you no aid."

"Ai-ai-ai-ai-ai!" Alpha screamed, knowing that the only plan that would work now was a terribly dangerous one.

"While at any other time we would gladly aid you, Hydro Hog has been in a winning fight against us, and we need all of the strength we can get if we are to survive." Cestro said, disappointed in himself.

"Do not worry Cestro, for Alpha and I have a backup plan." Zordon proclaimed, easing the emotional burden of Cestro slightly.

"That is good to hear my friend, for now I must go and help the others, they need me." After Cestro had said his goodbyes, Alpha cut the connection. Neither of the two in the command center spoke for what had to be at least ten minutes, both contemplating the risks and consequences of sending the rangers on such a dangerous mission.

"Alpha," Zordon finally broke the silence "if Zack and Kimberly fail to bring the fragments of the Stegosaurus Power Coin back, the world as we know it may be doomed." All Alpha could do was nod. "However, if we do nothing, than the power of Lord Zedd's monsters will surely destroy the rangers."

"I've done some calculating Zordon." Alpha added in "I have concluded that if we send the rangers Zack and Kimberly to Mercury, and they do indeed bring us the Stegosaurus Power Coin, than we will only have a slightly higher chance of defeating Zedd's army of monsters!" Hearing this, Zordon nearly considered forgoing his plans, but even if the chances for the ranger's success was just a bit higher, than it was a risk that had to be taken.

"Even so Alpha, if Zack and Kimberly succeed in returning the Stegosaurus Power Coin fragments, than that means the galaxy will be rid of Pralion," Zordon paused "as well as having a better chance to stop Zedd, and whatever he's planning." The viewing globe instantly turned on, showing the moon palace of the evil Lord Zedd, and finally it switched to the view of the shining knight Pralion, sword in hand, standing ever so still, and ready to destroy any living thing that would come near the fragments of the Power Coin.

* * *

><p><strong>So give it to me straight, crap or decent so far? I really would like to continue this, so any criticismpraise you give me will go a long way in deciding if I should just stop, change the way I do things or just keep trucking in the direction I'm going.**


	2. Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger 2

**Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger: Part 2**

"Goldar!" A voice shouted, which echoed through the halls of the evil moon palace. Zedd was in a particularly bad mood today, for he had recently discovered the rangers plan to recover the lost power coin.

"Coming my Lord!" Shouted Goldar in his deep and gravelly voice, lumbering down the corridors to reach his master's chamber. Ever since the creation of all of the monsters, everyone in the palace had been hard at work preparing the invasion force, even Squatt and Baboo, who in Zedd 's eyes were nothing more than a duo of bumbling idiots. Finally reaching Zedd's chamber, the gold clad simian spoke; "What is it my Lord?" Zedd looked over the balcony, which faced Earth at the time, and growled rather audibly, smashing his hand on the railing.

"Do you remember that Shining Knight goody two shoes Pralion?" Zedd asked his most loyal subject, who stepped back slightly in fear.

"You mean the one who Master Vile turned pure evil?" Goldar asked, wondering what this was all about.

"Precisely, it appears that Zordon is sending two of his rangers to retrieve the Power Coin fragments that he is guarding. If they retrieve those fragments, they may have a chance to repel our monsters attacks!" Zedd yelled, shaking his Z staff in anger.

"But sire, this would be an excellent time to attack!" The golden ape proposed, which Zedd had already thought of.

"No you idiot, the monsters that I have made still need to be infused with my dark energies, I can't release them yet or those Power Brats would easily destroy them!" The Lord of evil turned around and began pacing, fuming with rage.

"But with only three rangers, they will be at a heavy disadvantage!" Goldar stated, which to be honest was already quite obvious to Zedd.

"Do not insult me by telling me the blatantly obvious Goldar!" Zedd yelled as he walked toward his minion "Even with three rangers they still have the powers of the Thunder Megazord _**and**_ the Dragonzord, any attempt we make at destroying them now will be met with failure." Zedd stopped right in front of Goldar's face "and unless you would like to have a go at two extremely powerful Zords then I expect you to listen to what I was going to say!" The Lord quickly shot his hand up in anger, turning around and walking back to his throne.

"Of course my Lord, how foolish of me…" Goldar said, ashamed of himself. As Zedd sat on his throne, he rested his head on his right hand and sighed.

"Listen Goldar, if these rangers are able to get the Stegosaurus Power Coin, we might as well say goodbye to our plan." Sitting upright, Zedd continued "I'm not entirely sure what we can do to stop them right now, all of our resources are going into readying these monsters, and we all know how well Finster's monsters all turned out." Chuckling slightly, Zedd shook his head and was back to being in an abhorrent mood.

"Perhaps we won't have to do anything sire, those two rangers will be going against Pralion, one of the strongest and most evil beings in the galaxy!" Goldar shook his sword slightly as Zedd growled a bit.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Pralion is indeed an extremely powerful warrior." If the Lord of evil could still grin, then his newest revelation would have rendered him unable to keep one down. Zedd began to laugh, at first it was a calm laughter, but it soon evolved into an evil cackle. "That's right; those two power brats won't stand a chance against Pralion! And when the rangers are permanently out of two more rangers, there will be nothing stopping our conquest!" Laughing manically, Goldar smirked slightly and began laughing himself, only for Zedd to cut him off. "As much as I hate leaving things to fate, I couldn't have asked for anything better. Zordon has to be desperate if he thinks that his little group of teenagers could stand up to Pralion's might." Zedd lifted himself off of his thrown, and went back to the balcony, grabbing the ledge with his right hand. "I hope you enjoy your last few days of life rangers, for a new reign of evil shall be upon you soon!" Evil laughter filled the palace, and those on Earth who gazed upon the light of the moon were filled with a great sense of evil…

* * *

><p>Tommy and the six rangers all sat together at a table in the Juice bar, having met up shortly after Zordon had sent Tommy to the school. It was possibly the last time that anyone would see Zack or Kimberly again, and the rangers all knew it…<p>

"I don't get it though, if this guy is so powerful, how are Zack and Kimberly going to be able to take him down?" Jason asked the group after they had made sure no one was listening in. "I mean I trust Zordon, but this just seems too difficult for only two rangers." The group solemnly nodded, not knowing how to respond to Jason's question. Billy sighed and finally spoke up after a brief moment of silence;

"I'm not sure, but I know that Zordon has to have some sort of plan, he always pulls through for us in the end."

"Yeah, don't give up hope guys; I'm sure that Zordon has a plan to get us through this." Kimberly said while holding onto Tommy's hand under the table. Zack looked nervously toward Kim, who smiled weakly.

"It's not like we have much of a choice anyway, unless we get these power coin fragments, then we won't be able to stop Zedd." Tommy explained, making Jason slam his hand into the table.

"Damn it Tommy, I don't want to risk Zack and Kim's life for this!" Jason shouting slightly as he stood up rather forcefully, drawing some attention from the other patrons of the Juice bar. "If they die, then there won't be any chance for us to stop Zedd!"

"Hey kids, anything wrong?" Ernie asked, hearing Jason yelling was slightly disturbing to Ernie, who knew that Jason rarely ever lost his cool. Realizing that he had drawn some attention from the other people in the Juice bar, Jason sighed.

"No Ernie, just… stressful tests. Been doing a lot of work lately." Jason said as he sat down, Ernie nodded his head and started cleaning his counter top again. Tommy shook his head in disappointment.

"I know how you feel Jason, but even if they stay here, there's no way we could stop Zedd with just the five of you and a powerless me…" Jason resigned to Tommy, who was clearly right about the whole situation.

"Look, I don't know what's in store for us after Zack and Kimberly leave, but I know that we should be prepared for whatever may happen." Trini stated, which all of the rangers agreed on.

"Let's go home and get some rest guys, were definitely gonna need some for tomorrow." Zack said, ending the conversation. He found that little sleep would befall him that night.

* * *

><p>Early in the morning, Kimberly and Zack had both shown up to the command center, and both were not entirely sure that they were ready to take on this challenge. The rest of the rangers were there, save Tommy, who was back at the school, and they were all wishing that there was a better way to beat Zedd.<p>

"Zackary, The time has come for you and Kimberly to be transported to Mercury. Your suits will protect you from the harsh environment and heat on Mercury, so you will not have to worry about over heating or running out of oxygen." Zack and Kim both nodded at Zordon, looking up at him as he continued; "This will be the most dangerous mission that I have ever sent you on, and you will have to give 100 percent of your full potential in order to stand a chance, yet even then Pralion still may be too powerful."

"So how are we gonna beat this guy Zordon? If he's so strong, how are two rangers gonna be able to take him?" Zack asked as Kim nodded in agreement.

"Alpha and I have been working on some things that may just give you the edge in battle." Zordon turned to Alpha who was pressing some buttons.

"Yes rangers, we have created something that should be very useful to you for your battle against Pralion. If you would, please morph." As requested by Alpha, both of the rangers took position, and Zack called out the signature phrase;

"It's morphin' time!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Mastodon!"

As the transformation was complete, both the Pink and Black rangers stood in front of Alpha, who was still typing at his console. "Ahh, here we are!" Alpha said, pressing a small red button on the left side of the huge console. Just as he did, both of the morphed rangers had somehow materialized a golden shoulder and chest plate that spiked off on either side. On the middle of the armor was a golden diamond, and on their arms were golden arm bands. Just by wearing the armor both of the rangers felt more protected and powerful.

"What are these Zordon?" Kimberly asked, looking over her golden armor "They look like the golden armor Tommy had when he was the Green Ranger."

"These are Power Shields. They are merely old prototypes of the one that Tommy had, however, and should only be used in extreme emergencies. They will cease to function after a single battle, so make the most of them." Zordon explained. "If you need them, simply call out 'Power Shield' and they will materialize onto you."

"With these things, there's no way were gonna let Pralion keep those fragments!" Zack proclaimed, balling his hand into a fist. Alpha pressed the button again and the shields disappeared, to be called on again later.

"I also have one final thing to give you Zack." Zordon nodded at Alpha, who walked into a back room that the rangers had never been into. As Alpha gathered the item, Zordon explained what it was. "Although my body was trapped in this dimension, not all of my possessions were lost. This Zack;" Zordon paused as Alpha came back with a long box and held it out for Zack to open, which he did, revealing a silver blade with a black handle, adorned with rubies and emeralds. "Was my most prized weapon, I used this only once in my life, and I shall now bestow its power upon you." Zack didn't know what to say at all, the blade was beautiful, and the ranger felt humbled that Zordon would give him such a priceless gift.

"This is too much Zordon…" Zack said as he grasped the handle with his right hand, feeling an instant surge of power rushing through his body. As he lifted the sword out of the box, he noticed that the sword was rather heavy and long, 3 feet long to be exact. "Unreal, I feel great!" All of the other rangers looked on in excitement as Zack swung the blade slightly.

"Morphinominal!" Billy exclaimed as Jason nodded his head and grinned.

"Yes Zack, this sword is extremely powerful and gives the user some of its power for using it, but only someone as powerful and good as a ranger could use it." Zack placed the sword back in the box gently, and Alpha laid it on the nearest table. "However, there is a reason that I had only used it once before. This blade was forged many years ago, before even I existed. It had been passed down to me from many generations of my family, but I had been told to never use it, for if I did, it could be destroyed at any moment."

"Why would such a powerful weapon be so fragile?" Trini asked.

"A very good question Trini." Zordon responded "This blade was never meant to be used, it was merely for show, but when word had caught on that it held a secret power, many people had tried to abuse it. Eventually, my great grandfather finally got his hands on it, and kept it away from the many evildoers who sought to abuse its might." Zordon paused, recollecting his thoughts. "However, there was a great battle and it was clear to me that I had to use the sword if I were to save my planet, so I risked breaking it. Obviously it held out, and to this day I am not sure how much more fighting the blade can take." Zack nodded.

"I understand, I won't use it unless I absolutely have to, same with the Power Shields." Zordon smiled slightly, knowing that his most prized possession was in good hands.

"Thank you Zack, now that I have shown you these shields and weapon, do you believe that you are ready to depart?" Zordon asked the two timid rangers, who gulped and nodded to each other.

"Yes Zordon." Kimberly said.

"Same here." Zack assured, as Alpha began pressing buttons, Zordon gave some last words of encouragement to his noble warriors.

"I know that this will be a tough battle, but you are both fine warriors, and I know that you can defeat Pralion." The other rangers also had words of encouragement.

"You guys have this in the bag, make Pralion wish he had never messed with a ranger!" Jason said, locking hands with Zack in a sign of respect.

"We'll make sure that Zedd doesn't wreak too much havoc while you're gone." Billy said, smiling at his teammates.

"Yeah, don't worry about us, you know that we can hold our own!" Trini added.

"Rangers" Zordon said, making Zack and Kim turn to face him "Alpha is ready for transport. May the power protect you, and may you return safely." In a flash of black and pink, both of the rangers had finally teleported.

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><p><strong>Just a short little chapter before the big battle. Hopefully you guys like this, review, gimme some feedback and I'll be back with the climactic battle next time!<strong>


	3. Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger 3

**Chapter 1: Secret Enemy, Secret Ranger: Part 3**

The land on Mercury was barren, hot, and devoid of any life as far as Kimberly and Zack could tell. Both of them stood on the surface of the planet, trying to find some sort of bearing, but to no avail. This place was alien to them, and they had no idea if they were even close to Pralion at all.

"Yo Kim, did Zordon say anything about teleporting us close to Pralion?" Zack asked, Kimberly shook her head.

"I don't think so, but I would think that Alpha and Zordon would be smart enough to put us somewhere near him." Kim answered. Zack looked around once more, but found that all he could see was a barren wasteland, and no sign of Pralion at all.

"You would think so huh." Zack commented snidely, making Kim turn to him in disappointment.

"What's wrong with you Zack? You never say things like that." Zack shook his head.

"I don't know Kim, this whole mission seems just a little whack you know?" Kim tilted her head to the side slightly, but Zack could tell that Kimberly knew what he was saying. "Anyway, let's get going, there's no way for Zordon to contact us unless we take out Pralion."

"Right." Kim replied. They both set out, not knowing what they were in for.

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><p>The three rangers on Earth had stayed at the command center after Zack and Kimberly had left, each of them were equally worried about their comrades, but Billy had a burning question that he had to ask.<p>

"Zordon?" Billy said, his mentor turning his attention away from Alpha for a brief second to acknowledge the blue ranger.

"Yes Billy? Is there something troubling you?" Zordon asked, Billy shook his head.

"No, I was just intrigued by a thought." Billy swung around and paced slightly "When Tommy was selected to be the green ranger, we all barely knew him, and the only reason Rita picked him was because of his superior martial arts skills." Turning back around, Billy looked back up at Zordon. "And although I'm sure we've all been expecting Tommy to become the new orange ranger, if I am correct in my assumption, Tommy has absorbed too much of the negative energies while he was the green ranger to take up the naturally good power coin, it would simply reject him because of the negative energies."

"Yeah, I thought about that too, but I figured that he would have proven himself to be worthy of the power coin by now." Jason said. Zordon shook his head in disappointment, knowing that Billy was correct.

"I am sorry rangers, but Billy is correct, Tommy has absorbed too much negative energy to become the next orange ranger." Jason and Trini both looked shocked, exchanging worried glances at one another.

"Well Zordon, the reason I brought up Tommy's recruitment was because we never actually had to recruit him, he was chosen by our enemies, and so we were extremely lucky to find such a great person to become a ranger." Billy explained, Zordon knew exactly where this was going.

"Fear not Billy, for I have a plan. Indeed we must make plans to recruit a new ranger, and I have already made the decision to have Tommy find one at Angel Grove High." All three rangers breathed a sigh of relief. "I have total faith that Tommy will be able to find a worthy recruit. Alpha, make contact with Tommy from the communicator that the rangers had given him yesterday."

"Of course Zordon." Alpha nodded and pressed a few buttons on the console. A short static was heard, but it soon cleared up. A few seconds later, a voice could be heard coming through the speakers;

"What is it Zordon?" Tommy asked, looking around to make sure that there was no one around to hear him.

"Zack and Kimberly have been transported to Mercury, how is Angel Grove High?" Zordon asked.

"It's weird Zordon" Tommy said, shaking his head "Everyone's been acting weird lately; they just seem so… depressed. They all say that the moon seems more evil at night." Zordon, ever stoic, had steeled himself for news such as this.

"Yes, that makes more than a great deal of sense, with Zedd's army growing, he is using more and more of his evil powers and corrupting the moon with it as well." Tommy grunted in anger. "However, we must not worry about that now. Tommy, you have served as a ranger with the utmost conviction, but I am afraid that you have absorbed too much negative energy from the power of the Dragonzord Power Coin, and your body will not accept the power from the Stegosaurus Power Coin." Tommy sighed, but had somehow known that this would be the case.

"That's alright Zordon, but if that's the case then we should really find a replacement ranger soon." Tommy proclaimed.

"Of course, which is why I'm trusting you, Tommy, to find a suitable person to take on the powers of the orange ranger." Tommy nodded.

"Of course, you can count on me." Tommy reassured.

"Thank you Tommy, may the power protect you."

"Back at ya, I'll contact you when I think I've found a candidate." After that, the Communication was cut.

"I wonder who Tommy will pick to be the new ranger…" Trini wondered aloud, the other two rangers had the same thoughts.

"Whoever it is, I'm sure that they'll be as great of a person as Tommy is." Jason said confidently, Billy and Trini nodding in agreement.

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><p>Up high on the moon palace, Lord Zedd stood, concentrating his power on finishing his monster army as quickly as possible. He knew that Zack and Kimberly had been sent to retrieve the lost Power Coin fragments, and so he had resolved to finish powering up his army as soon as possible to catch the rangers off guard. If he could take down the leader and two of the other rangers, then the newest addition to the team would be no trouble at all. While in his trance like state, Zedd could subconsciously hear Goldar's voice, and Zedd quickly snapped out of it.<p>

"What is it you buffoon, can't you see that I'm in the middle of powering up my army?" Zedd shouted at his servant.

"My apologies Lord Zedd, but I think that I have a brilliant plan to destroy the rangers!" Zedd sighed and rested his palm against his forehead in disappointment.

"Not another one of your idiotic plans Goldar, none of them ever work!" Zedd shook his head and clenched his hand into a fist.

"But sire, what if you sent me down to Earth to distract the rangers? I could distract them from making a plan against you my lord, and perhaps I could even destroy them for you!"

"Idiot! Have you totally forgotten our conversation the other day?" Zedd yelled, he could be heard throughout the entire palace. "If you had half a brain, you would understand that the rangers left on Earth still have the powers of the Thunder Megazord and the Dragonzord together! I would be sending you to die if that plan were to go through. Not that I wouldn't enjoy the peace and quiet, but you are essential in my grand plan to destroy the rangers." Goldar looked towards the ground, ashamed that he had thought up a completely futile plan.

"I… am sorry my lord."

"Bah!" Zedd shouted, turning around and looking out the balcony at the measly planet he wished to conquer. Suddenly, however, an idea had crept upon the lord of evil. "Bahaha…" Zedd chuckled slightly as he turned back towards his minion.

"You have given me a wonderful idea Goldar, a wonderful idea indeed."

* * *

><p>Back on Mercury, Zack and Kim were still on the lookout for Pralion. They had no way to contact Zordon, so they were completely on their own for this mission, something neither of them were particularly happy about. For the past few hours they had been searching the planet, but to no avail, and everything around them seemed to be exactly the same as before. Some trivial thoughts came to each of their heads, such as how the gravity felt the same as if they were on Earth, but Zack quickly hand waved that as an effect of the suit or Power Coin.<p>

"Hey Kim, I'm starting to wonder if we'll ever find this Pralion guy." Zack said to Kimberly, who shook her head.

"I was starting to think the same thing, but we can't give up…" The both walked for a while longer, but after a few more minutes, had decided to rest for a bit. They both sat on different rocks, watching the stars as it was pitch black on the planet at the time. Mercury was on a strange pattern to the rangers, where it would be completely bright one hour and totally dark the next, and so they switched their night vision on during the dark periods and switched it off during the bright ones.

"How much of a chance do you think we stand?" Kim asked, twiddling with her fingers nervously. Zack looked away, not knowing how to respond at first.

"Well…" He said, also nervously "let's just hope that these power-ups Zordon gave us are enough." The response did not ease Kimberly's mind one bit, and after she had thought about it, decided to tell Zack something in case the whole situation turned out horribly wrong.

"Zack, I think I should say a few things… in case we don't get back to Earth." Zack looked back, but was unsure of what Kim was thinking of due to the helmet covering her face.

"Don't say things like that Kim, we're gonna find this guy and get back to Earth, I promise." Zack assured her, balling his hand into a fist in a sign of optimism.

"Even so, I need to say this just in case." Kim sighed and shook her head a bit. "I know I shouldn't think like that, and I know Zordon is going to take care of us but-"

"Zordon you say? I haven't heard that name in a long time." Both Zack and Kimberly looked over to the side, quickly bolting up as soon as they recognized the monstrosity that stood before them. His voice was deep and booming, and sounded as if it was muffled by some sort of metal helmet even though he was without a head.

"Pralion! There you are!" Zack shouted, getting himself into a fighting stance. "Why don't you tell me where the Power Coin fragments are before you get seriously hurt!" Pralion chuckled at the ranger.

"Tsk tsk little ranger, Zordon was foolish to think that two of you could stand against my might." The knight began to pace, his black cape flowing behind him in contrast to his white armor. "Even so, I have been planning this event for many years, and I will need your help if I am to escape this wretched planet." Kim gasped at the thought.

"You think that we would help you after the things that you've done?" Kimberly screamed at Pralion, who stopped pacing and stood in one place for a moment, as if he were thinking. Zack and Kim both looked at each other, not sure of what to make of the situation, but they were both brought back to attention when Pralion spoke.

"I assume that Zordon had told you of when I was turned evil by Master Vile." Both of the rangers stood in silence, Pralion continued "Indeed it's true, I was once a great and virtuous knight, protecting the innocence, fighting injustice, and doing what was perceived to be 'right'." Now Zack and Kim were completely confused, they weren't expecting this at all.

"What are you trying to tell us Pralion?" Zack asked, not letting down his guard for a second.

"What I'm saying is that no matter how much evil you put into a being, there is always that bit of good left, especially for one as pure as I used to be." Pralion turned to face the rangers once more. "That Orange Ranger that had come to face me… he was naïve, I explained to him the same thing I will explain to you, but he was too blindly loyal to accept what I was telling him, and so he had to be destroyed." Kim shook her head.

"Shut up! You're no better than Zedd and Rita! Trying to trick us like that is rotten to the core!" Kim screamed, Pralion sighed and began pacing once more.

"You have been blinded by Zordon young girl, why don't you listen to my side of the story before you jump to conclusions? I'm giving you a chance to live; for there is no way that you can withstand a battle with me."

"You're too cocky Pralion." Zack proclaimed. "Zordon has never steered us wrong before, and I'm not about to betray him for you!" Pralion sighed once more.

"Please Black Ranger, listen to my story, I do not wish to kill you as with the Orange Ranger." Kim looked at Zack and shook her head no, but Zack was intrigued.

"What's in it for us Pralion? Will you give us those Power Coin fragments?" Zack asked, Pralion crossed his arms.

"I have no reason not to, but only if you help me, and if you listen to my story."

"Why should we? Zordon gave us enough reason to kill you here and now! Come on Zack, don't give him a chance to trick us!" Kim shouted, Zack was deep in thought however.

"Kim…" Zack looked up into the vastness of space "we're Power Rangers, we have to give _**everyone**_ a chance, even this guy." Zack looked back over to Kim, who looked away quickly. She didn't like it, but she had to go with it anyway.

"Fine." Was all she said. Pralion stood patiently, waiting for Zack to say something.

"Go ahead Pralion, I'm listening, but don't expect me to believe you." The Black Ranger said, dropping his fighting stance.

"Heh… you may want to take a seat rangers, this story is not a short one." Zack and Kim both stood still, refusing his suggestion. "Well, suit yourselves." Pralion turned around uncrossed his arms. "Brace yourselves, this story is not for the light of heart." The rangers both looked at one another as Pralion began his tale…

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><p><strong>Next Chapter: History of Pralion. Who was Pralion and what was his relationship with Zordon? Find out next time! Remember to review, and I promise that there will be a battle in the next chapter for those of you who are really anxious for one! <strong>


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